Michael and Mano Thanos took over the previous Lincoln's Address in 2006 and tapped tiki master Martin Cate to create their cocktail list. Bamboo partitions, woven lauhala mats and other tchotchkes of 1950s and '60s tiki lounges could come off as trite, but they work here. The 52 specialty cocktails and beer on tap (think Kona Brewing) are of the same ilk; snacks are limited to a short list of fried items such as spicy chicken bites and coconut shrimp.

The sheer size of the drink list at Martin Cate's tribute-to-all-things-rum bar might make you worry about the drinks. But not once you see the staff, including the wizardly Marcovaldo Dionysos (a 2009 Bar Star), composing a mind-bendingly complex roster of drinks in triple time. The drinks never fail to hit their mark, whether Cate's tributes to colonial-era rum love or the tiki classics (zombie, pupule) that are honed to perfection. Also, the indoor waterfall. That is all.

Don't miss: Three Dots and a Dash (two rums, citrus, honey, allspice, falernum), any of the grogs.

This inverted version of the Enchanted Tiki Room for adults puts the simulated rain in the center of the room rather than outside, and replaces the mechanical birds with a live band (on a floating platform, no less). The line to get in only builds the expectation of kitschy, theme-park-style amusements. Even the collection of tiki drinks taste as sweet as a Dole Whip, only with better glassware. Don't miss: Singapore Sling (gin, grenadine, fresh lemon juice, sherry brandy); Tonga Mai Tai (dark rum, triple sec, fresh fruit juice).

Victor Bergeron's eponymous Trader Vic's originally opened in 1934 on San Pablo Avenue as a beer parlor called Hinky Dinks. The Bergeron family changed the name in 1936 to Trader Vic's, and eight years later, Victor invented the now-famous mai tai. The restaurant moved to San Francisco in 1951, then to its present waterfront location in 1972. The look is well-used tiki and the menu, much edited from its height, offers rumaki, barbecue spareribs and other classic Trader Vic's dishes.

While the Tonga Room might get the crowds, and Smuggler's Cove might get the cocktailians, Trad'r Sam (established 1937) is a tiki bar for the everyman. Probably more dive bar than exotic oasis, it's nonetheless covered in kitschy island decor. While most of the Richmond regulars rely on "normal" drinks, there's a full menu of all the delectable umbrella-topped tiki classics: mai tai, zombie and of course, the deadly Scorpion Bowl. Watching the liquor flood into the bar-top blenders makes you realize that with these potent tiki drinks, you're in for the long - and the fun - haul.

Don't miss: The Scorpion Bowl ($16) meant for four people - or fewer if you're thirsty.